Einstein is seen as one of our great creators. Quite often he would stay with a question for years in order to find a new solution. He once said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”This was one of his greatest strengths.

Too often in today’s fast paced, disjointed, fragmented world, we jump from problem to problem without giving each or any problem it’s due respect in terms of time and thought. When in conferences and I pose a question or challenge to the audience, you can see the eyes of some participants glass over, as they impatiently wait for others to ponder the answers, while they sit ready to move on to the next thing. ​ You see today we simply don’t spend time with a problem. If we can’t solve it immediately then we get frustrated and we find ourselves distracted by something that appears easier. Creativity needs time. Problems need time. We need to allocate sufficient time and truly ponder something. Strategies aren’t written in a day, an afternoon or a weekend. Strategies take weeks, months or even years to get right. If Einstein believed that he stayed with problems longer than others and it was his greatest asset, then it’s definitely worth considering as it’s a resource that we all possess.